Thoughtful and successful surrogacy services.

Ivy Fertility brings years of experience to patients who want to become parents through gestational surrogacy. Our centers are national leaders in gestational carrier success rates, and we provide comprehensive services to suit all needs.

Gestational surrogacy⁠—explained

 

Gestational surrogacy helps patients become parents by having a genetically unrelated carrier become pregnant through an embryo transfer. Candidates for surrogacy include people who cannot safely become pregnant due to medical conditions and people without uteruses.

 

Gestational surrogacy can often be the answer to hopeful parents’ wishes. Operating at the intersection between IVF and egg donation, our capable centers support patients from start to finish.

Step 1

Once the patient and healthcare team have decided to become pregnant via surrogate, an external surrogacy agency will help find a match. With the assistance of an experienced reproductive law attorney, we will help navigate the legal requirements and finalize the engagement.

Step 2

If you require donor eggs for the gestational surrogacy, your healthcare team will assist you. You will either work with one of our centers’ in-house egg donor programs or with an external organization.

Step 3

Once a surrogate has been matched, we begin the cycle. The surrogate will follow a similar protocol to IVF to prepare for the cycle. If one of the intended parents is using their egg(s), they will also go through the steps for egg retrieval.

Step 4

Once the egg(s) have been obtained, either via retrieval or donation, the eggs will be fertilized to create an embryo. When the embryo reaches the blastocyst stage, the embryo can be frozen and later thawed and transferred into the gestational carrier.

Step 5

Typically, hormone supplements will be used by the gestational surrogate through the first trimester of pregnancy. Once the placenta has formed, the carrier will begin to taper off hormone supplements, and the pregnancy will be well underway.

The steps of surrogacy can be complex, and our centers are intimately familiar with the details. Among our cutting-edge labs, exceptional IVF success rates, and our experienced team, we will be there for you throughout the entire process.

 
 
 

“I feel like everyone is on our side and rooting for us!”

—Patients of San Diego Fertility Center

 
 

Gestational surrogacy⁠—answered

It’s natural to have questions about gestational surrogacy. Here are some of our most-asked questions by patients:

 
 

  • “There are generally critical steps in our IVF and surrogacy program, one of which is psychological counseling. All parties involved in the surrogacy (intended parents and gestational surrogate) must participate in psychological counseling. It’s an excellent opportunity to discuss sensitive issues and/or concerns before the medical process begins.”

    - Lorna Marshall, FACOG of Pacific NW Fertility

  • “We adhere to careful screening and monitoring of the gestational carrier to ensure maximum success with the transfer and pregnancy. The gestational carrier will first complete initial screening to ensure that her general health, uterine health, and previous pregnancy history are all ideal for a gestational carrier role. After the evaluation, she’ll be given medication to prepare the uterine lining prior to and after the embryo transfer to optimize the potential for implantation and a successful pregnancy.”

    - Deirdre A. Conway MD, MS of Utah Fertility Center

  • “Surrogacy is a beautiful solution that provides options to patients for family building. We often utilize gestational carriers to help single men and gay male couples grow their families. It’s also an excellent reproductive option for individuals who cannot be pregnant, whether through a health condition or absence of a uterus.”

    - Darci Broughton, MD, FACOG of Pacific NW Fertility

  • “Gestational surrogacy is a process where one person, who did not provide the egg used in conception, carries a fetus through pregnancy and gives birth to a baby for another person or couple. Like many services in fertility medicine, the right choice for one patient might not be the right choice for another. Our teams are experienced and committed to your dreams of building a family, and we’ll help you figure out the best choice for your needs and help to facilitate those choices with you.”

    - Andy Huang, MD of Reproductive Partners Medical Group

  • "We provide comprehensive fertility services for the transgender and non-binary community including donor eggs, donor sperm and gestational carriers. Fertility preservation is ideally discussed prior to initiation of gender-affirming care, however we are happy to discuss options for fertility preservation no matter where you are in your transition."

    - Stephanie Rothenberg, MD, FACOG of Pacific NW Fertility

  • “Yes, we have a number of trusted gestational carrier agencies with which we work, and we will provide you with all the resources you need to . Once you’re have made that selection, we will assist your gestational carrier to get medically screened. A legal agreement will also be coordinated with the help of specialized reproductive law attorneys. We have tremendous expertise is providing you with the instructions and direction to make the process as smooth as possible.”

    - Said Daneshmand, MD of San Diego Fertility Center

You have options.

Contact the nearest center to learn more about gestational surrogacy programs.

 

“I’m celebrating my first Mother’s Day and I couldn’t have asked for a better team to help us on our journey. Thank you so much for all you do.”

—D., patient of Los Angeles Reproductive Center